The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1887-05-27
AN HISTORIC SPOT.
Parliament Hill, and It's sLegends Of
War and Plague.
Where London Was Defended and Guy
Faux Intended to See ''Exing jamie
Go Up In Air-Another
Theory.

Theory.
None of the bits of country that
promise to be rescued from bricks and
mortar by the passing of the Hampstead
Heath Enlargement bill is more deserv-
ing of being preserved for pOsterity
than Parliament Hill. One of the most
famous of the Northern heights Of Lon
don, the Hill possesses other than
superficial attractions. 1t is not mere
ly the beauty of its grassy slopes, down
which generations of the children OF
the people are, we hope, now destined
to roll; nor the lovely views across the
fields to Highgate and Ken Wood, OF
across the brickyards-soOn to be an
eyesore of the past-to Hampstead |
Heath, much as all these smile in con-
trast with the dreary wilderness OF
Kentish Town and Holloway, that are
the only charms of Parliament Hill.
Here, according to tradition, the Par
| liamentary Generals planted cannon
! for the defense of London, and hence
the Hill takes its name. There is, 1T is
true, nothing to prove the truth OF the
legend; and there is, likewise, good
ground for believing that the Parlia-
mentarian Notifications were never adj
vanced so far north; still, the story has
run for some hundreds of years, and
will certainly pass current as long as
the Hill lasts. But even if this time
honored tradition of the spot has to be
given up, it possesses other and still
more ancient associations. Here, 1t is
said; the members for Middlesex were
at one time elected; and the etymOlogy
is very possibly the true one. The
county elections were, as a matter OF
fact. held at Hampstead until the
hustings were removed to BrentfOrd,
an event which took place at the be-
ginning of the eighteenth century. The
precise spot seems to have been the
hi0h-road in front of jack Straw S
Castle. But it is very possible that the
Hill itself was the scene of the cere-
mony at still earlier date. Yet an
other legend belongs to the spot.
Here, we are told, "Guy Faux's COM
rades stood to see his match send
Parliament House and Parliament, and
if possible King Jamie into the air. ~
, But, unfortunately for the reputation
, of popular tradition, it is an historical
: fact that the conspirators did not wait
to see the explosion, but were at the
time it would have occurred making
/ the best of their way out of London by
sundrv and divers roads. So the asso-
, | Citations of Parliament Hill with Gun
+, powder Plot can only be commemora-
: tive celebrations "of the Fifth ot
November.
But the happiest legend of all is thar
}. for which the stalwart custodian of the
|. rights of the freeholder is responsible
This worthy, who has a knack o.
. horrifying trespassers by telling then
that they must pay quarter of mil
n lion of money before they can walk
over these sacred fields, will, upon per-
. suasion, gravely relate how Parliamen
Hill is the place where cannon was
t fixed with which to blow the Houses o
g Parliament to pieces. He will b.
a found to be cautious in assigning
, date to the episode. But you can not
+ shake him as to the facts. 1t would b.
J. hard to find a better illustration of tn
ie fatal facility with which local tradition
= get mixed.
n Mr. Walter Besant and Prof. Hale
ct have lately thrown a new and vivi'
re light upon the archaeology of tn
ID Northern heights of London. Mort
- of Parliament Hill rises another emi
"a nence. which is of remarkable form
in A regularly rounded cone, it is clearl
t of artificial origin, and this conclUsio
Q. is fully borne out by the fact that
- welI-defined fosse runs round it. /
re this both Mr.. Walter Besant and Pro-
| h.a N
ie the latter has expended much researc
w W in fixing its date. Hewitt, he remind
is ua, relates how Gin very early times tn
by inhabitants Of St. Adams, who aspire
m to make that town the capital of thi
ne part of England, finding London grow
- ing a vigorous rival, set out to attac
nd and destroy it: but that the LOndoneri
eft turning out, met and defeated the
ne enemies of St Adams on this spot an
that this mound contains the dust
the slain We must, the profess
Ter gravely points out, 20 back to vel
an early times to fix a possible date Il
.'T9 such fray In 81 b. G., when Ces
- invaded Britain, war was raging b
he tween Cassivelaunus, King Of the Cat
Of veIauni, whose capital was Verulai
ny the modern ST. Albans, and Imanue
y" sot thus. King of the Trinobantes, one
m whose chief towns was Londinim
,ok The Catuvelauni seem to have had Z
toh lon best of it during the earlier part Of I'll
.er prolonged struggle, which did not q
with Casar's coming. In one OF {
battles. Imanuentius was slain, and
sw. Trinobantes threw themselves und
IS: Cesars protection. But hostilit
oss we're renewed on the departt
- of the Romans, and C
~ tinued under the two succeeding Kir
me of the Catuvelauni, Tasciovan a
the C,unobelin, the latter Of whom was
q Cymbeline Of Shakespeare. This tun
era fa lus may. then. be the mound wh
- covers the slain Of one of these he
wn. fights, and Imanuentius may have n
,,d self been buried here.
,plo But the suggestion that Brit
res.